John Harris Sr. (1673 - 1748)

Born 1673 in Yorkshire, England

Husband of Esther (Say) Chesney — married 1719 in Christ Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died Dec 1748 at about age 75 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

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John Harris Sr. migrated from Yorkshire, England to the Province of Pennsylvania.

Biography

John Harris Sr. is Notable.

Harris was born in Yorkshire, England, of Welsh parents, about the year 1673. He was reared to the trade of a brewer, that followed by his father. Upon reaching manhood's estate he left home and followed his trade in London, for a time, where, a few years later, he joined a company from his native district, who emigrated to America, locating in Pennsylvania, two or three years prior to William Penn's second visit to the Province.

In 1698 his name is appended to a remonstrance to the Provincial Assembly against the passage of an act disallowing the franchise to all persons owning real estate less in value than fifty pounds. The memorial had its effect, and the law was repealed. By letters of introduction to Edward Shippen, the first mayor of Philadelphia, that great man became his fast friend, and no doubt through his influence were secured the favors which finally induced him to become a pioneer in this locality – now Dauphin county^[1][2].

Each year, the Chiefs of the Five Nations went to the Carolinas, where were situated immense hunting grounds, and these, returning with peltries, found need of a good trading post. The HISTORY OF DAUPHIN COUNTY 17 keen eye of Harris, the white man, looking out over these forests and streams and beautiful plains, saw and knew that it was the proper location, and that William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, did well to contemplate the building "a city- on the Susquehanna." At the period referred to, the lands between the Conewago and the Kittochtinny, or Blue mountains, had not been purchased from the Indians. Of course, neither John Harris nor the Scotch-Irish settlers could locate except by the right of squatter sovereignty or as licensed traders. As a trader, it could only be with the permission of the Indians.

In 1705 John Harris received his trader's license to "seat himself on the Sasquahannah" (Susquehanna River) and "to erect such buildings as are necessary for his trade, and to enclose and improve such quantities of land he shall see fit.^[2]

Harris's first move was the erection of a store-house, which he surrounded by a stockade. It was located on the lower bank of the river, at about what is now the foot of Paxton street. A well dug by him still exists, although covered over about fifty years ago, the old pump stock having become useless and the platform dangerous. A mound or hillock about one hundred feet southeast of the grave yard denotes the spot. "For almost a century," in the language of the late David Harris, "this well supplied a large neighborhood with water, which was exceedingly cool and pleasant to the taste." Adjoining his cabin were sheds for the housing of peltries obtained by traffic, which at stated periods were conveyed to Philadelphia on pack-horses^[3].

In approximately 1719, Harris moved with his wife Esther from Chester County to Lancaster County. They then eventually built a log cabin on the banks of the Susquehanna, near the present juncture of Paxton and Front streets. Other settlers soon followed in the footsteps of John Harris, Sr., and on December 17, 1733, the proprietaries of Pennsylvania granted to him by patent, 300 acres of land, within which was included the present site of the Dauphin County Court House. He developed a large trade with the Indians in fur and skins and established numerous trading posts. He also began farming on a small scale and introduced the first plow to the vicinity. Harris, Sr. established the first ferry across the Susquehanna, which in time became so popular that that place was no longer called by its Indian name of Peixtan, but Harris' Ferry

Esther and John Harris had several children: a daughter, Margaret, married General William McAlvey, and relocated to an area (McAlvey's Fort) in present-day Huntingdon County. John Jr. (ca. 1723-1791), also considered the founder of Harrisburg, is recorded as being the first white child born in Pennsylvania "west of the Conewego hills." The other children included Elizabeth; who married John Finley; Esther, who married William Plunkett; William Augustus (1730-1760); Samuel; and David.

On December 17, 1733, the proprietaries of Pennsylvania granted to him by patent, 300 acres of land, within which was included the present site of the Dauphin County Court House. He developed a large trade with the Indians in fur and skins and established numerous trading posts. He also began farming on a small scale and introduced the first plow to the vicinity. Harris was granted the right to operate a ferry across the Susquehanna and for more than half a century "Harris's Ferry", no longer called by its Indian name of Peixtan, was the funnel through which much of the Scottish, Irish and German migration trickled west. In the same year Harris acquired, through grants, tracts of land adjacent to his ferry, totaling 800 acres (3.2 km2). Today, the area has been developed into downtown Harrisburg.

An Attempt to Burn John Harris.

John Harris Sr., the trader, died in December 1748 and left to his son, the second john Harris, management of the estate and control of an important strong point on the frontier. John Harris, Sr. was buried, at his request, beneath the shade of a mulberry tree in River Park below Harrisburg Hospital. He had once been tied to this tree by hostile Indians who were prepared to burn him, but fortuitously, his Indian friends rescued him in the nick of time.

’’’John Harris and the Mulberry Tree’’’^[4]

”The legend of John Harris and Mulberry Tree is one of the oldest in Dauphin County. The attempted burning by drunken Indians followed by a heroic rescue, possibly led by his slave Hercules, makes for great drama. Myriad versions of the legend circulate, both in oral tradition and in print. My favorite version is found on John Harris-Simon Cameron Mansion. Asked repeatedly about the legend, John Harris’ great-great-grandson Philip Harris decided to record the legend for posterity. The original manuscript is framed and hangs on the second floor of the mansion.”

’’”About the year 1720 a party of intoxicated Indians came to the house of John Harris on the bank of the Susquehanna River where the city of Harrisburg now stands and demanded Rum. Fearing mischief he refused to give it to them. This enraged the Indians and they bound him to a Mulberry tree, with the avowed intention of torturing and burning him. Thro’ the instrumentality of his Negro slave Hercules a party of friendly Indians were brought to his rescue. They came just in time to prevent the flames reaching his body”.”

Sources

1. ↑ History of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. [www.dauphincounty.org/government/About-the-County/Pages/History.aspx History], Dauphin County Government Services; Accessed 15-Feb-2018.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Brown, Mrs. Carlyle C. History Of John Harris Founder Of Harrisburg PA, USA. [www.angelfire.com/on/Canadiangenealogy/harris.html History Of John Harris Founder Of Harrisburg PA, USA]], 9 Nov. 1999. This information was researched and compiled by Mrs. Carlyle C. Browne ( Sarah Ann Harris, fifth daughter of Alfred Bingham Harris, and granddaughter of Elisha John Harris of the Mansion, Harrisburg PA, USA) in 1971.
3. ↑ Kelker, Luther Reily. History of Dauphin County Pennsylvania, with Genealogical Memoirs. The Lewis Publishing Company, 1907.
4. ↑ Puglia, David J. South Central Pennsylvania Legends & Lore. Part III ‘Murderous Men’. Arcadia Publishing, Oct 9, 2012.

See Also

• Harrisburg on Wikipedia
• John Harris, Sr. on Wikipedia
• Find A Grave: Memorial #43472344
• MILITARY: John Harris III, Revolutionary War Pension, Dauphin County, PA ‘’(relative of John Harris, Sr.?)’’
• Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers. Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, pages 77-85.
• Simon Cameron House, also known as John Harris Mansion and the Harris–Cameron Mansion
• The John Harris – Simon Cameron Mansion. Historical Society of Dauphin County.